‘The Chalice!’ the words echoed inside Sinead’s head. She’d dropped it when she’d retrieved her sword. The Hound stirred as she leapt to her feet and scurried along the passageway. Tarron, the elderly elf, stood in the archway where she and the Hound had first entered the Great Maze. He smiled. The Chalice of Earthly Liberation was in his hand and Moonsprite, her unicorn, stood beside him.
‘The Hound…’ Sinead began. Tarron shook his head, pulling her urgently through the archway. She turned and looked back. There was just an empty room. The Hound, the monster and the maze were gone.
‘Grieve not, Sinead, it was the Hound’s destiny.’ Moonsprite edged forward and nuzzled Sinead’s neck.
Tarron placed the Chalice into Moonsprite’s saddle bag. ‘Hurry now, I will lead you to the Bridge to the Edge of the World. You must cross while you still can, then gather the Sisterhood.’
Image credit: Railed Robin on Deviant Art
Previous episodes of Sinead’s Final Quest
luna's on line 
I’m dying to read more Chris. Such an interesting story.
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Chris you simply must be queen of the hook into the next chapter. What a last line! Wonderful dialogue throughout, for that matter. Are you planning on releasing the final narrative in one big piece once finished?
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Thanks, Matthew, you are too kind 🙂 I was actually starting to think about working the series up into a novel using the small snippets as a the framework.
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Definitely! It runs together so nicely!
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I appreciate the encouragement, Matthew 🙂
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There goes my dear hound, at least she has moonsprite to cushion her grief
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Sadly, a sacrifice was called for, Moonsprite means so much more to Sinead and to the story…
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I feel so sorry for poor Hound, but can’t linger on him, as now I’m dragged ever deeper into the story by talk of the “Sisterhood.” Another great installment!
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Yes, we must press on. The Sisterhood awaits!
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Like Susan, I feel sorry for Hound, but maybe he just disappeared instead of actually meeting his demise…🤔
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Maybe… ‘not everything is as it seems…’ 😉
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The Sisterhood intrigue me, Chris, and I’m hoping Hound will appear again in some form. Well, this is a mystical quest and I like to dream! Looking forward to more!
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Anything is possible, Tom. Stay tuned, as they say 🙂
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I like how Tarron explained that the mortal wounding of the Hound was his destiny. I know Sinead felt bad about him paying the ultimate price for saving her. Now off to find the Sisterhood with her sword and Chalice. Love the story Chris.
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Thanks Darnell 🙂 …and so Sinead and Moonsprite go on !
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I really like your blog. A pleasure to come stroll on your pages. A great discovery and a very interesting blog. I will come back to visit you. Do not hesitate to visit my universe. See you soon. 🙂
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Thank you! I’ve returned the visit – some lovely photos on your site 🙂
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And like that–the world changes for our heroine once again. It’s never easy when one companion leaves, but the quest must continue!
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I have a feeling we haven’t seen the last of Sinead’s erstwhile companion 😉
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Whew! I’ll be looking for his return!
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